Thursday, March 30, 2006

Thursday Show and Tell, now with Cheating & Lies

See, check the date down at the bottom...didya check? Really? Well, see then, still Thursday.

And a double bonus, not only do I lie about the date but I lied about the show and tell. No show. For whatever reason the pictures didn't save correctly and they are blank now. You'll have to take my word for it and that in itself is a sketchy proposition today, what with the two lies so far.

Favorite Childhood CandyBar: Tie. SkyBar vs. Whatchamacallit.

Favorite Grown Up CandyBar: Hershey's Special Dark.

And really, what do I have to gain for lying. Whatchamacallit. I mean, really.



I'm still in technogeek love with the iPod. And the car charger/player thingmo. Love that too. The girlie has fairly decent musical taste (with the exception of that Feel Good Inc. song...blech) and we were blaring CCR and the Beatles. She tells me how much she loves the song that's on (Hey Jude) which makes me smile because it's my favorite too and I just found out it was my dad's favorite and well, that gets me all mushy. Anyway.

We get home and she says "you know mom I love that song, I'm going to name my baby that".
Which one? I ask her
And she sings it, nice and loud "HEY JU"
Which could also be spelled 'Hey Jew"

Gah!

After I stopped laughing (totally at her and not with her, as she was all "huh??") I kind of thanked god that she hadn't decided to test her musical chops in Target.

Wednesday, March 29, 2006

Sometimes when you least expect, things just fall into your lap(top)




Meet the latest and greatest addition to my little family. A gift! From a friend with too many laptops (as if!) and no upgrade knowledge, see, my new baby is empty and is awaiting an OS transplant. I'm a little excited.






Last Friday I returned home after picking up the babysitter, pizza and movies in tow. I walk in the door and my husband is standing there, ashen faced, the TV is dead, he says. The babysitter refuses to take broken for an answer. In record time he has the gamecube TV hooked up to the dvd player and running in perfect order. I'm thinking that someday having a sixteen year old around the house will be a good thing.

Of course the repair shop called yesterday with the bill. Let's just say that it's just under the' it's not worth fixing' dollar limit.

The future bruins clinic, wherein you drive two hours to watch your child skate for fifty minutes. And then burst with pride not because of his skating abilities but because when facing off against a girl much smaller with much less skill he didn't just wristshot it and skate away like the other boys, he actually skated with her and muffed up the puckhandling so that she could steal it and get a shot or two off. And not at all being obvious about it. Impressive sportsmanship never fails to, well, impress.



Oh, and I know I haven't posted for like FIVE days (Really, Jennifer...I'm okay...just busy and lazy all at the same time :) ) but is there minimum posting requirements for the meet-up? Because the room? It's booked.



Thursday, March 23, 2006

My Windows xp

The double window in the living room. Dirty. As is the case with most of the windows this time of year. Oh, wait. Every time of year.

Before we rebuilt the house this was the general location of a bow window that let in enough of a draft to blow candles out. Seriously. I was blaming the husband but was totally mistaken.

I love these but they're large and a target for kamikaze birds.



The boy is well. I pretty much knew this but because there four of his friends went home sick in the past two days, I let him stay home anyway, the stipulation being that he lazes around and watches TV and reads. Forced leisure. You'd think I was pulling out his fingernails with pliers, never have I seen a kid more ready to play outside with his sister.

I saw Hustle & Flow last night. If you haven't seen it you should. And the song that won the Oscar? So deserving. Great, great movie.

Do you ever watch a movie and find yourself trying so hard to understand the character's accented english that you begin to think you'll hate the movie and then ten minutes go by and you wonder how you COULDN'T understand what they were saying? No? oh.
It seems the boy caught a little wishIcouldgohomeearlytoo-itis. Doesn't explain the slight fever but the boy is FINE. I guess my mention of 'now, if you get out of school early you'll be lying down, not playing Warcraft' cured him. It's practically a miracle. Or a foolproof way to ferret out a faker.

My son is the reigning champion of NHL 2006 on the gamecube. He whips everyone he plays, adults included. My daughter is up 3 to 1 right this minute. It's gotta be a fluke. Right?

Will be back with my windows later.

*Update* she won 5-4. Maybe he IS sick.

Wednesday, March 22, 2006

I thought I was doing so well...

This morning, the kids are getting along...things are going well.

I leave the house with time to spare. I will actually be EARLY getting to work.

As I'm walking in to the girlie's school, I look down.

Slippers.


oof. the school nurse just called.
low grade fever, stomache and head ache. 45 minutes until dismissal. he's going to tough it out.
please send non-vomiting illness thoughts my way, they'd be much appreciated.

I've been playing with this alot. I'm using pictures of the kids and dog and whatever else I have in the My Photos folder. Thanks to Show and Tell there are tons of pictures of random objects that are coming in pretty handy.

I was busy racking my brain trying to think of some sort of game to go along with the cards and my friend whalloped me on the head with common sense and said 'how about a game like War?'. D'oh. I've added a few extra cards that with special instructions (Person to fold the most laundry wins automatically! - or maybe just 'give your opponent the top two cards from your deck') but I'm going with the war idea.

Must go prepare for the arrival of sick boy.

Tuesday, March 21, 2006

This was in my email box today....

March 20, 2006

Dear Super Cute Son of Jenny,

Congratulations!! You have been randomly selected as a winner in the POWERade Future Bruins promotion. Your prize includes a POWERade Future Bruins hockey jersey and an on-ice clinic on Sunday, hosted by representatives from the Boston Bruins and coaches from Northeastern University. Immediately after the on-ice clinic three children will be randomly selected from your session for the grand prize which includes four tickets to the April 8th Bruins and Rangers game.

Make sure you bring all of your hockey equipment and a parent/guardian to the clinic. Your parent/guardian will be required to complete and sign the attached waiver before you participate in the clinic.

If you have any questions, please email me at xxxx. We look forward to seeing you on Sunday.

Sincerely,

David xxxx


Let's just say he's a little excited, shall we?

blah, blah...I know. Hockey again. Sorry, it's what rules this house right now.

I got nothing else, just sharing his good fortune...


Monday, March 20, 2006

Okay, so say you're going to create some leprechaun mischief. Don't make a big toothpaste smiley face on the bathroom mirror. Whatta mess. And the girlies effort to clean it up, as you know - a surprise, to help me...well, she took a bath towel and smeared it all over the mirror and turned the bath towel gummy with blue Sparkle Fun Flavor Crest.

eh, it's the thought that counts, right? at least she tried - i'd rather have that than no help at all (which would be a hint to my son, and seeing as he doesn't read this blog it's falling on deaf ears...oh wait...even if I holler it out it still falls on deaf ears, damn that testosterone induced selective hearing).

Thinking about going to see Failure to Launch? No? HAH. Me neither. But my friend, she was needing some comedy (and wow, there was zilcho worth seeing anyway, but I digress) and so, I gave her grief because that's what friends do and then acquiesed. Because, truth be told, I could care less what movie I see when we go out. The point is the going out. With her. No drinks because she's pregnant. Little does she know I'm already itching to hold that baby. eeeek. i. can't. wait!

And then I read her post about us going out, which I have sworn I won't link her until she's ready to come out of the blog closet, so you all will just have to believe me when I say it was one of the nicest things I've evah, evah read. Much love to you, C.

The rest of the weekend was a blur of hockey games (woot for the boy and his hat trick on Saturday! and for the way, even though they lost, he skated on Sunday) and a baby shower and a(nother) hockey party/cookout.

I am a stellar underacheiver in the world of knitting. I was trying to knit 2 purl 2 and could not remember for the life of me what i was doing the minute i looked away. I've switched my pattern to something a little more idiot proof. We'll see how I do.

Friday, March 17, 2006

Top O' the Mornin' to yeh...Unless you're Blogger, then pffft.

A filer or server or someother technical mojo prevents me from viewing this here blog right now. Apparently it'll be up and running later. We shall see.

St. Patrick's Day has turned into quite a little celebration over here in our little part of New England. The first order of business is the purchase of two bags of those chocolately gold coins. The girlie eats all but two from her bag but no matter, the brother has a little more restraint and still has all of his.

Then the plans are drawn up. The recycling bin is raided and there are scraps of duct tape and torn off labels all over the cellar floor. A leprechaun trap is in the works, this year's version involved a ramp, a swinging trap door and a strategically placed squishy ball that will oh so conveniently fall and block the entrance.

The gold(ish) coins are hidden all over the house and in the trap, piles of two and three, in order to lure the leprechauns in. But they're wily, those leprechauns, they leave green hershey's kisses in place of the coins. Nothing except kisses inside the trap, maybe next year.
Did I mention the mischief? No? Well there's mischief. The toilet paper is unrolled and strung around the bathroom. There's a smiley face drawn in toothpaste on the mirror, my books are all turned backwards, the girlie's stuffed animals are lined up parade style and her dollhouse people? Have all been jammed into one vw bug.
My boy, who normally sleeps through smoke alarms woke up last night as I was laying his school clothes out. The pants touching the wood chair was enough to rouse him from his comatose sleep. So I try to shush him but he gets up saying he's got to go to the bathroom. Can't really refuse that request. Now, the mischief has been done but it's only 11:30 so crap, crap, crap how'm I going to explain that I'm still up but the leprechauns already came? I lie, lamely too, but he's too tired to notice. The look on his face when he sleepily sees the toilet paper strewn across the bathroom was priceless. He literally jumped. His eyes popped open and he was speechless. Then he ran upstairs, scared that they still might be here and jumped into bed with my husband. For whatever reason he's into this whole thing hook, line and sinker. It's been that way since preschool, when the teachers put all of the toys outside the playground fence and monkeyed with the classroom a little bit - blaming leprechauns all the while.

There's even green pancakes. With green sprinkles. Served on shamrock plates.
My mother in law is making a corned beef and cabbage dinner and normally I wouldn't miss it, because even if her picture frame/shadow boxing skills are questionable, her cooking most certainly is not. yum.

But tonight I'm missing it. Going out to eat with a very good friend. And then a movie? shopping? who knows. In eight short hours I'll be outta here :)

But first I'm going to go scrub the toothpaste smile from the bathroom mirror and put away approximately 50 beanie babies. Darn leprechauns.

Update: Apparently I am Irish:
You're 40% Irish

You're probably less Irish than you think you are...
But you're still more Irish than most.

Thursday, March 16, 2006

I don't even like people. Well, except for you.

I'm at the library this morning, our attempt at free entertainment as the art class/$7.00 entertainment has been cancelled. Usually we hit the shelves for a few minutes before or after the daisy girl scouts shindig but this time, with no time constraints the girlie and I browsed. Well, she browsed I read the Chyrsanthemum Palace but close enough.

I up the ususal 4 book 1 movie limit to an unheard of 10 books and two movies. I'm feeling generous today.

The toddler reading/crafty class gets out just as we are walking up to the circulation desk. I'm in line, albiet a little off to the side, with our bag o' books. A mom steps up, kind of next to me. She's busy badmouthing the school committee's decision to demolish the playgrounds at our elementary school and rebuild.

So, let's just say that working for a few town committees over the past four years has left me a mite defensive in favor of the volunteer committees it takes to run a town/school department, etc. She's indignant...the cost...the inconvenience, blah blah. I only wanted to say..."maybe you should've gone to one of the meetings" because it was clear she hadn't and really, don't bitch unless you know the details. And if you don't go to the meetings, you don't know. period. *rant over*

The mom in front of us finishes up and this playground badmouther steps forward at the same time I do. Now, she only has one movie to check out and I've got a bagful of stuff. But before I can even offer to let her go first she says. "oh, were you here first?" I nod, but don't even get to speak before she says "Well, I wasn't really paying attention, I didn't even see you but if you say so, then I guess...".

So, passive agressive soul that I am I let the girlie start unloading the bag. book by painfully slow book. And this lady, she's something else, she is. She says "Oh. My. Well, I wouldn't normally ask this (at which I haven't even SPOKEN yet but I let my eyebrows raise as if to say Oh. Really? I bet.) but I only have one thing and you've got so much more, could I just go? I'm in such a rush. I've made dinner for a sick friend and have got to get it over to her, she's got kids."

My mind says 'lady, it's 11:30 a.m. - I'm doubting that she's worried about her supper' but my hand waves her on, because for all I know the friend has cancer and one week left to live and this is the last meal she'll ever have with her family. Okay, so I lean toward the melodramatic but damn I'm familiar with that karma chick and she means business.

She does her thing and then while she strolls over to help her son with his jacket we check out and leave the library before she does. I'm buckling up the girlie and driving away as I watch her stop at her friends car for a chat.

She's in a hurry. A HURRY! No time for waiting in line. No time for idle chatter. I wanted to pull up to her and just say, remind her of her friend's dinner. Well. Really, I wanted to. But I didn't. Instead I'm here, typing it all up and posting away.

You're welcome.

And now, show and tell.

I know, a BUTTER dish was requested but damnitall I don't have a butter dish.

I have a tub. And there are sticks of I can't believe it's not butter in the fridge too, still in their foily wrappers.

I do buy butter and not just any kind but my favorite, Kate's. I mostly use it to cook and I don't have anything planned that will require honest to god butter this week so y'all are outta luck.




We are in the midst of planning for the big festivities tomorrow. Green beer and hangovers? Um, no. Leprechaun traps and hidden gold. Green pancakes and special plates. Not a drop of irish blood runs through our veins but this has somehow surpassed easter to move into the coveted space of "Favorite Holiday besides Christmas". Woot. And it's tomorrw. We're off to hide the gold. g'nite.

Monday, March 13, 2006

And did I learn the first time? Picture frame complaint number one got me picture frame #2.

And picture frame complaint #2 will probably get me...you guessed it, picture frame #3 for my birthday.

And I'll totally deserve it.

Moving on.

The girlie got a haircut this morning. Second one in two weeks as the first one was a do-it-yourself job. She just took a handful of hair and snipped. She said it was snarly and she snipped just the once, about three inches off the side. It really didn't require immediate fixing but her bangs were long and her hair was ragamuffinish so it was time anyway.

We're throwing my sister in law a baby shower this weekend and guess how many guests have R.S.V.P.'d? Two. Out of Fifteen. I'm thinking people will just show up, at least I should say I'm hoping people will just show up.

Oh, remember all that Netflix trouble? Well, emails were sent back and forth and surprise...my movies have been coming quick like, well, something quick. Huh. So I'm back on the loving Netflix bandwagon.

I'm kind of looking forward to that invention show that's starting soon. At least for the first week and then I'll forget it's even on and never watch it again. Which seems to be pretty much what happens to every show I watch except Survivor. I did get sucked into Dancing with the Stars but that was on at the same Thursday night time so it worked out well. Two shows. One time. I've dumbed down my TV viewing schedule even.

Thursday, March 09, 2006

I deserve whatever I get

Life Lesson Number 5646498:

If you're going to whine about a gift, expect to be repaid mightily. This is a little excerpt from a Thursday Thirteen I wrote back in November:

My brother in law and his wife got airline tickets to meet my inlaws in South Carolina next week for their first anniversary. We got a picture frame, decorated with roses and a hallmarky sentiment next to the opening for the picture. Not looking a gift horse in the mouth and all of that...but really...


Fast forward to last week. Our tenth anniversary had just passed and last Friday my husband went to visit his mom to escape the hell that is being the husband of a book group hostess. He returns, wrapped goody in hand. Now I don't expect presents for our anniversary, really I don't. Really. Anyway, I unwrap and lo and behold....

A shadowbox picture frame, with one of our wedding pictures inside. But what's wrong with our wedding picture, can't be that bad, you say?

oh no, the picture itself isn't bad but now it's been matted. On some antiquish looking paper and there are embellishements. Don't get me wrong here either, I'm a (very) novice card maker, I like gizmos, but the sheer volume and style of the gizmos has my head a-spinnin'. There are roses and doves and hearts, so many hearts, and wine glasses and wedding bells. And some of them are multi-dimensional and such.

The saving grace of this photo display is that it was handmade by my mother in law. And when I say SAVING grace I mean that literally, as in saving it from a spot in my eaves.

Yes, I'm mean. She probably spent hours on this gift and for that I am thankful. But the woman has known me for sixteen years and she knows that frou frou is NOT my style. Maybe it's my husband's style. I'll find out tonight because I'm hanging it right over his bureau today while he's at work.

Eye Spy

Okay, this is the second time around for this post because blogger was a little grouchy this afternoon. I'm sure it won't have you cracking up in side splitting laughter like the first one but hey, you can't win 'em all.

First off, the Show and Tell, for my favorite little birdie.


I took this last spring or summer and due to the lack of camera batteries it's what I'm posting. There's no new picture stipulation is there? My eyes are brown and used to need glasses or contact lenses to see far away. The last time I went to renew my driver's license I forgot both and took the vision test...and I passed. Huh? I know that I should wear contacts or glasses but when has the RMV ever been wrong?




Here's another knitting picture for my friend who said she didn't want to look at that AWFUL knitting picture for even another minute:



Now this, this isn't AWFUL knitting. It's knitting and purling. Look at me go, eh?





And tomorrow, a visit from a little bitch named Karma.

Tuesday, March 07, 2006

well, i am fully recovered.

from what?

an impromptu party on Sunday with 20 guests. and 45 minutes notice.

I hit my new friend Rachel up for another recipe (Italian Sub Soup), stopped at the grocery store, ran home made a few beds, a big pot of soup, a cold drink and voila...rolled out the welcome mat. it went swimmingly and our home was officially declared the sunday destination of choice for post hockey gatherings. i should be running scared but the season's almost over and i'll miss this crowd. I'm imposing a hockey ban for the summer. Waiting to see if the boy gets the D.T.s. Should be interesting.

Yesterday I returned to my knitting class, having ripped out all of that mess I showed you guys last week. I was basically knitting all wrong, flipping the yarn around and some other nonsense.
This week I actually learned how to do it correctly along with purling and increasing. woo-hoo me.

We'll see if i remember any of it tonight.

The mess with the daughter's school is slowly working itself out. Her preschool/day care is closing at the end of the month. It was the only school in town that would provide before and after kindergarten care on the same schedule the girlie would of had in the fall. (half the town goes in the morning, the other half in the afternoons and then in January ~ we switch. What fun for working parents, eh?)

So I guess I'm going to be enrolling her in another preschool that will do the pre and post kindergarten mess but she will be going on the opposite schedule as all of our neighbors, as it's across town. And I will have to provide transportation on the three days she DOESN'T go to this before and after place.

Is making any sense? Am I just prattling on? Yeah? Oh-kay then.

Doesn't matter. That's all you get from me today. Mindless blather.
What??? Just like every OTHER day you're saying?
Fine then. DOUBLE mindless blather for you tomorrow. Hah. That'll show you.

Friday, March 03, 2006

Show and Tell Friday....because I cannot adapt to Thursday. or because Comcast PhotoShow stinks. And now with a bonus question for those who knit..

So, I had my pictures for the show and tell ready to go and because one of the calendars needs a little editing up...i head to photoshow. It's done right by me before, only this time...not so much. Crashacrashacrasha. I open it, try to import, it closes. over and over again. Of course I'm not sure why I expected the eighth time to be different than the first but I digress.

Last night we had the opportunity to see the Bruins for $10.00 a ticket and, well, we couldn't pass that up and that bit in mightily to my blog messing around with time.





Here is the calendar that required no messing around with because (and I must say I feel better after seeing that I'm not the only one who does this) it's blank. Oh sure, I flip the picture of Black Labs every month but I rarely, if ever, write a thing on this. Usually I just use it for reference I guess. Not that it references anything and mostly I run up the stairs to look at the real one.









I have a thing for organization. Or should I say...wanting to be organized. I've never really acheived this lofty goal and I've always wanted to buy this calendar so buy it I did. There was alot of time spent filling in our names (with different colored sharpie - a trick that might have worked if I hadn't lost MY color) and I wasn't too happy about the big pictures they like to throw into the middle of the pages, making it almost impossible to see what you've written. But still, I really like this one. It comes with stickers (three for Halloween and only 12 for sports practices. which makes less than no sense AS IF we would only have 12 practices in a sixteen month period - and who has three halloweens? )

But it's a full sixteen months and not the cheesy four months to a page deal either. And there's a pocket for the sharpies and a real holder that doesn't rip. love it.

And hey, check out my superior photo editing skills. Time to quit my day job, no?


And now onto the question...

I learned to knit on Monday. Just casting on and the knit stitch so far, but it's a start. Last year, there was one row of incorrectly done casting on left on my needles for like, eight months. I had to DUST the yarn. But it looked so pretty and knitty in the corner of my room. Anyway...

Here is my problem:
Actually, I don't this is a picture of my problem. This is what I think it SHOULD look like (am I right?) And this is how it started out looking:





But then:











Look...the spacing is all wacky. I've no idea what I did differently. None. Any more experienced knitters have a clue? Because, even though it's just practicing I'd like to figure it out before I move on.









This is what it looks like all together. Any ideas?

Thursday, March 02, 2006

My show and tell will be up tomorrow as my little photo editing gizmo keeps crashing and i have some gizmoing to do before i post.

grrrr.

it's too late to monkey with it again.

g'nite.